Giant Panda is composed of childhood friends Alex Newman, Jamaan "Maanumental" McLaren (from Seattle), and Chikara "Chikaramanga" Kurahashi (from Tokyo).
2005 saw the release of Giant Panda's first full-length album, Fly School Reunion (Tres Records).
This allowed the group to tour the West Coast with fellow Angelino hip-hoppers People Under The Stairs and Time Machine.
XLR8R called Electric Laser "futuristic funk" that stays true to the group's "boom bap" and "electro" modes but also moves the sound forward.
[2][3] The group cites De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, EPMD and A Tribe Called Quest as their key influences.